Mounting assembly for mounting a bumper assembly and a radiator assembly to a vehicle, a vehicle frame, and a vehicle

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter relates to a mounting assembly for connecting a bumper assembly and radiator assembly to a vehicle. The mounting assembly can include a first frame member extending along a vertical direction of the vehicle, a transverse frame member extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle and connected to the first frame member, a bumper bracket configured to connect the connector member of the bumper assembly to each of the first frame member and the transverse frame member. The bumper bracket can include a flange extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle, and the flange can be configured to engage the radiator assembly if the radiator assembly is mounted on the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A mounting assembly for connecting each of a bumper assembly and a radiator assembly to a vehicle, the bumper assembly including a connector member extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the mounting assembly comprising:
 a first frame member extending along a vertical direction of the vehicle; 
 a transverse frame member extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle and connected to the first frame member; and 
 a bumper bracket configured to connect the connector member of the bumper assembly to each of the first frame member and the transverse frame member, the bumper bracket including a flange extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle, and the flange being configured to engage the radiator assembly mounted on the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the bumper bracket includes a first portion mounted on each of the transverse frame member and the first frame member, the first portion has a substantially U-shaped cross-section that is open toward the radiator assembly when the flange engages the radiator assembly such that, when the bumper bracket connects the connector member to each of the first frame member and the transverse frame member, the connector member pushes upwardly along the vertical direction of the vehicle and rearwardly along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when a load or kinetic energy is applied to the connector member along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the load or kinetic energy exceeds a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
       3. The mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the flange includes a mounting hole configured to receive a mating structure of the radiator assembly mounted on the vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the bumper bracket includes a first portion mounted on each of the transverse frame member and the first frame member, and 
 the first portion includes a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls that are connected to the bottom wall, and the side walls are spaced apart from each other by a gap, 
 the gap is configured to receive the connector member, and 
 the flange is cantilevered to one of the side walls and extends away from the gap. 
 
     
     
       5. The mounting assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the side walls includes a pair of mounting holes spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and each of the mounting holes of one of the side walls is aligned with a respective one of the mounting holes of a different one of the side walls. 
     
     
       6. The mounting assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the flange is substantially parallel to the bottom wall. 
     
     
       7. The mounting assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the side walls is substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
       8. The mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the bumper bracket includes a bottom wall and a pair of side walls, 
 the bottom wall is a flat plate that extends along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle, 
 each of the side walls is a flat plate that is continuous with and extends from the bottom wall, each of the side walls extends along the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle, and each of the side walls is spaced apart in the transverse direction of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       9. The mounting assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein
 each of the side walls includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of each of the side walls is continuous with the bottom wall, and the second portion of each of the side walls extends farther in the longitudinal direction than does the bottom wall, and 
 each of the side walls includes a pair of mounting holes, one of the mounting holes is located in the first portion of each of the side walls, and a different one of the mounting holes is located in the second portion. 
 
     
     
       10. The mounting assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the flange is a flat plate that extends in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle, the flange extends from one of the side walls in the transverse direction of the vehicle, and the flange is spaced away from the bottom wall in the vertical direction of the vehicle. 
     
     
       11. The mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the bumper bracket further includes a pair of opposed mounting holes, and a threaded nut is welded onto the bumper bracket around one of the mounting holes. 
     
     
       12. A frame assembly of a vehicle comprising:
 a pair of first frame members extending upwardly along a vertical direction of the vehicle; 
 a transverse frame member extending from each of the first frame members in a transverse direction of the vehicle; 
 a pair of bumper brackets, each of the bumper brackets includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is connected to the transverse frame member and a respective one of the first frame members, and the second portion is configured to engage a radiator assembly when the radiator assembly is mounted on the frame assembly; and 
 a pair of connector members, each of the connector members is connected to the first portion of a respective one of the bumper brackets, and each of the connector members extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle away from a respective one of the first frame members. 
 
     
     
       13. The frame assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the first portion of each of the bumper brackets has a substantially U-shaped cross-section that is open toward the radiator assembly when each of the flanges engages the radiator assembly such that, when each of the bumper brackets connects a respective one of each of the connector members to each of the first frame member and the transverse frame member, each of the connector members pushes upwardly along the vertical direction of the vehicle and rearwardly along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when a load or kinetic energy is applied to the connector member along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the load exceeds a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
       14. The frame assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the first portion of each of the bumper brackets includes a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls, each of the side walls includes at least one mounting hole such that the mounting holes are aligned with each other, and each of the connector members is connected to the at least one mounting hole of each side wall of each of the bumper brackets; and 
 the second portion of each of the bumper brackets includes a flange and a mounting hole through the flange configured to engage a mating structure of the radiator assembly when each of the bumper brackets engages the radiator assembly, and the flange is cantilevered to one of the side walls. 
 
     
     
       15. The frame assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the first portion of each of the bumper brackets includes a bottom wall and a pair of side walls, the side walls extend from and are continuous with the bottom wall, one of the side walls is connected to one of the first frame members, a different one of the side walls is connected to the transverse frame member, and the bottom wall is connected to the one of the first frame members; and 
 the second portion of each of the bumper brackets includes a flange that extends from one of the side walls, is substantially parallel to the bottom wall, and extends away from each of the side walls in the transverse direction of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       16. The frame assembly according to  claim 12 , further comprising
 a pair of lower frame members extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, 
 wherein each of the first frame members extends from a respective one of the lower frame members. 
 
     
     
       17. An all-terrain vehicle comprising:
 a frame assembly including,
 a main frame assembly defining a passenger compartment of the all-terrain vehicle, 
 a rear frame assembly connected to and extending from a rear end of the main frame assembly in a longitudinal direction of the all-terrain vehicle, and 
 a front frame assembly connected to and extending from a front portion of the main frame assembly of the vehicle such that the main frame assembly extends between the front frame assembly and the rear frame assembly in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the front frame assembly including,
 a pair of first frame members extending upwardly along a vertical direction of the vehicle, 
 a transverse frame member extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle and connected to each of the first frame members, 
 a pair of bumper brackets including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is connected to the transverse frame assembly and a respective one of the first frame members, and 
 a pair of connector members each connected to the first portion of a respective one of the bumper brackets, and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle away from the transverse frame member; and 
 
 
 a radiator assembly connected to each of the first frame members and engaging the second portion of the each of the bumper brackets; 
 a rear suspension and wheel assembly mounted to the rear frame assembly; and 
 a front suspension and wheel assembly mounted to the front frame assembly, 
 wherein the bumper brackets are open toward the radiator assembly such that the connector members pivot upwardly and displace the radiator assembly upwardly and away from the front bumper assembly when the front bumper assembly is subjected to a load or kinetic energy input that causes the front bumper assembly to collapse toward the main frame assembly. 
 
     
     
       18. The all-terrain vehicle according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the second portion of each of the bumper brackets includes a flange and a mounting hole through the flange, and 
 the radiator assembly includes a pair of posts, each of the posts extends into the mounting hole of a respective one of the bumper brackets. 
 
     
     
       19. The all-terrain vehicle according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the first portion of each of the bumper brackets has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and includes a bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending from the bottom wall, one of the side walls is mounted on the transverse frame member, and a different one of the side walls is mounted on a respective one of the first frame members, and 
 the second portion of each of the bumper brackets includes a flange extending from one of the side walls in the transverse direction of the vehicle, and 
 each of the connector members extends between and is mounted to each of the side walls of a respective one of the bumper brackets. 
 
     
     
       20. The all-terrain vehicle according to  claim 17 , wherein
 each of the bumper brackets includes a first pair of mounting holes and a second pair of mounting holes, each of the second pair of mounting holes opposes a respective one of the first pair of mounting holes, 
 a pair of fasteners passes through each of the connector members, each of the fasteners passes through a respective one of the first pair of mounting holes and a respective one of the second pair of mounting holes, 
 each of the connector members is a hollow tube having an inside, and 
 the front bumper assembly further includes a pair of compression stoppers, each of the compression stoppers is fixed inside a respective one of the connector members, each of the compression stoppers spans opposing portions of the inside of the respective one of the connector members, and the pair of fasteners passes through each of the opposing portions of the inside of the respective one of the connector members.